By Megan Brewer —

Most students at U of L don’t know what to do if there’s an active shooter on campus.

In a Cardinal Twitter poll, 22 percent of the 163 students who voted said they knew what to do if there was an active shooter on campus. Of the respondents, 78 percent said they didn’t know what to do.

This is a problem and doesn’t help students feel safe on campus. U of L needs to do something to change these numbers. Why don’t more students know what to do if there’s an active shooter?

Theater Arts professor Carol Stewart said her students notice there’s no protocol or procedures for what to do if there’s an active shooter on campus in any classrooms.

“They also noted that there is — at least in the classrooms we’re all usually in — a giant poster dedicated to critical thinking,” Stewart said in an email to Cardinal.

In a city like Louisville where, unfortunately, a lot of crimes happen, having students know what to do in the case of an active shooter is important.

On the Department of Environmental Health and Safety webpage “emergencies” tab students can find a link to active shooter procedures, which is helpful, but it’s not posted in places students spend time on campus. It’s not information that can be easily accessed in the face of an emergency.

Two shootings happened at The Arch apartments last year within six months of each other. Students need to know what to do.

The best and most obvious time to go over active shooter procedures, along with other emergency procedures, would be during freshmen and transfer orientation. But they don’t.

All students have to go through orientation before they start at U of L, so having a quick rundown of emergency procedures should be incorporated.

U of L should also add active shooter protocol to classrooms and buildings that students frequent like the SAC or library.

U of L needs to do a better job of educating students on what do in emergency situations. Protecting and keeping students safe should always be the first priority and the only way to do this is by giving us the information needed to ensure our safety.

Graphic by Mitchell Howes / The Louisville Cardinal

File photo / The Louisville Cardinal